And it's good to be out of Minnesota's below zero wind chills to do a couple of shows in Florida! I knew I was taking a big risk doing the 30 hour trek (should have been less but I got lost in Tennessee for two hours) to do two totally unknown to me shows in Florida- St. Stephen's in Coconut Grove and Naples National (next weekend). It really helped to do some research on Art Fair Insiders but I was still coming here with fingers crossed.
Well it paid off big time- St. Stephens was my best show in 22 years of doing shows! I tend to do a pretty good solid average at most shows so it was very exciting to hit it out of the ball park. I credit two main things- being totally new to the area and having the larger pieces to sell in the first place. (Besides all the usual stars that need to align- great weather, steady traffic and well run show!)
I usually stick to Midwest shows with a few in Colorado but this year my kids were finally old enough to leave behind and try out the Florida scene. There are pluses to doing shows where people know you - a lot less explaining of my technique but then again it is fun to be the booth that gets a lot of "I've never seen anything like this before". I also get the feeling that the Florida crowd is a little more free with their spending- Minnesotans are very cautious and can scare at the slightest blip in the economy. Of course this is just my take on one weekend in Florida. Other booths around me had a mix of results- some great, some average and some not so good.
I am also happy that the risk I have taken of making more large pieces in the over $1,000 range is paying off. Even having multiply pieces in the $300 range is somewhat new to me and it really makes a difference. In the past when I let myself make these more elaborate pieces I would consider these pieces the "Draw in the Crowds" piece but as I've made more of them it means they also become the pieces that sell!
Now we'll see how Naples goes but I think I'll be heading south next winter too!
